| Section B | B index | 231-239 of 517 terms |
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bimetallic stripA term commonly applied to a pair of metallic strips with different thermal expansion coefficients that have been bound together to form a single strip. The purpose is to create a device that converts temperature into a mechanical signal either as a visible temperature reference or as part of a thermal control system (e.g., a thermostat).
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bimetallic thermometerA thermometer in which the sensitive element consists of a compound strip of metal formed by welding together two strips of metal having different coefficients of expansion. The curvature of the strip is a function of its temperature. It is a type of deformation thermometer.
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binary codeUse of binary numbers in a transmission to represent different conditions. The key aspect of these codes is that, in serial communications, they can be unprintable. See code forms.
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binary cyclonesTwo tropical cyclones close enough together for their circulations to interact as the cyclones orbit around a translating point between them.
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binomial distributionA probability distribution that applies to experiments involving sequences of independent trials in which only two possible outcomes (e.g., success or failure) can result on each trial. If p is the probability of success on each trial, and q = 1 − p the probability of failure, then the probability of success occurring x times in n trials is given by the binomial distribution: 
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bio-assayMethod for testing toxic effects of water with the help of living organisms; specifically: 1) the use of a change in biological activity as an indicator of a sample's response to biological treatment; 2) determining toxicity of wastewaters by using viable organisms as test organisms.
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biochemical oxygen demandA measure of the quantity of oxygen used for biochemical oxidation of organic matter under specified conditions.
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